10 | National News HEALTH | Kemri to introduce twin methods next month HIV couples can get babies safely at last New technology known as vaginal insemination to curb infections BY EVERLINE OKEWO eokewo@ke.nationmedia.com conceive without infecting their partners, thanks to a new technology called vaginal insemination. Likewise, HIV-positive men W will be in a position to bear children without infecting their partners through a prevention method researchers call “sperm washing”. The new technologies to be rolled out by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) in June 2, seek to address the desire by discordant couples to have biological children. There are 260,000 dis- cordant couples, according to the Kenya HIV Estimates Technical 2013 and Modes of Transmission Report 2008. According to the study, 21 per cent of new adult infections occurred among young women aged 15 to 24 every year who desire to have children. According to the study, vaginal insemination will involve the placing of harvested sperms inside a woman using a syringe. The procedure can be omen living with the Aids-causing virus will now be able to done either by the man or the woman. Sperm washing, on the other hand, involves the collection of semen from a person who is HIV-positive. The semen is washed in a laboratory to remove the virus. The “clean” sperm is then placed inside a woman through intrauterine insemination (IUI). Prof Elizabeth Bukusi, one of the principal investigators in the study and a deputy director in charge of research and training at Kemri, said the method was applicable to discordant couples. The other researchers are Dr Okeoma Mimeja, Dr Betty DEFINITION How sperms are ‘washed’ According to Kemri, it involves collection of semen from HIV-positive adults The semen is washed in a laboratory to remove the virus. The washed sperm is then placed inside a woman through intrauterine insemination Sperm washing and vaginal insemination procedures target discordant couples Njoroge, Ms Pauline Wekesa and Mr Joel Odondi. Prof Bukusi said the study, whose findings will be released on June 2, was conducted across the country between 2012 and 2014. Already a number of moth- ers in the study have given birth to HIV-free children, said Prof Bukusi, in an interview with the Nation yesterday. She said 75 per cent of the women attained pregnancy after six months. “These are other tools to add in HIV preventions and interventions to reduce new infections. The participants were drawn from across the country.” The advantage of the vaginal insemination is that it can be done by the couples at home after being trained by health workers, the researchers say. “There is a need to combine interventions for HIV prevention. No one strategy is 100 per cent effective and couples should be able to decide which strategy would work for them best,” Mr Joel Odondi, a Kemri researcher, told the Nation at Lumumba Hospital in Kisumu yesterday. Mr Odondi said the aim of the research was to put in the market many options for people desiring to have their biological children. Prof Bukusi said Kenya would be the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to use the two methods. NO TO GAYS | Clerics oppose union DAILY NATION Wednesday May 13, 2015 Evidence at crime scene ‘was left out’ BY NATION CORRESPONDENT A senior police officer told the High Court in Nairobi that not all the blood-stained items at the scene where former NTV journalist Sarah Wambui Kabiru’s body was found were taken for investigations. Buru Buru OCS Johnstone Matoke said that even though he was at the scene, his officers only took away only a few items with blood stains. Mr Matoke told Justice Roseline Korir that police collected a pillow, its case, a bed cover and a note. Fresh scar “The deceased had a fresh scar on the side of her head with blood oozing out. One corner of the bed had blood stains — an indication that someone may have knocked her on the bed.” However, during cross-exami- nation by her husband, Mr Moses Otieno Dola’s lawyer, Mr Cliff Ombeta, Mr Matoke admitted that not all the blood-stained items were taken away. Mr Ombeta questioned why offic- ers took only one pillow, yet there were two. He also questioned why the photos of the scene presented in court showed the bedroom door in the house Ms Kabiru, her husband and their son lived in, was intact, yet in his own testimony, Mr Matoke claimed it was broken. A warrant of arrest was issued for JARED NYATAYA | NATION Abubakar Bini, Chairman, Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya in Uasin Gishu County, addresses the press at Asis Hotel in Eldoret town yesterday. He was accompanied by Richard Henry, Deacon, Legion Maria Church in Eldoret town and other faithful. They said gays should not be allowed to form a union. Ms Kabiru’s house help, at the time her death, Ms Eunice Mwangi, to appear in court for the next hearing. The prosecution said she had been sent money twice by M-Pesa but failed to show up. Ms Kabiru was found dead while lying covered in bed. The hearing resumes on July 6. Kaimenyi warns heads against early lessons BY NATION CORRESPONDENT School heads have been warned against asking learners to report for lessons before 7.15am. Education Cabinet Secre- tary Jacob Kaimenyi (right) said some schools were forcing children to report as early as 5am. “This exposes the learners to risks,” Prof Kaimenyi said. The new regulations gazet- ted last month that ban schools from starting lessons earlier than 7.15am, also require public and private schools to operate from Monday to Friday, while class hours are from 8am to 3.30pm and 3.30pm to 4.45pm for co-curriculum activities. Class hours at boarding schools are also restricted to 8am to 3.30pm and learners are required to do preps from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Prof Kaimenyi was speak- ing when he officially closed a meeting with education officials in Mombasa at the weekend. At the same time, the CS said children joining Class One should not be required to write entry tests to secure places. Prof Kaimenyi also warned against forced repetition of classes, saying a child will only do so on the recommendations of a doctor or due to non-attendance for one academic year. Schools heads have, however, strongly complained about the new school regulations. “Students are also supposed to do some manual work. What time will they do this if they come to school after 7.15am?” one head teacher asked.